


Honour

by Thorki_ed



Series: Disney AUs [WIP] [4]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Intersexuality, M/M, Mulan AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-04
Updated: 2012-09-27
Packaged: 2017-11-13 13:50:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/504184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorki_ed/pseuds/Thorki_ed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki was nothing like the warriors of Asgard, but for his father, he was willing to do anything to prove he could bring honour to their family. Heavily based off the Mulan movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Refuge

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be clear: Aesir do NOT have magical abilities. Frost Giants **rarely** have it. Yes, Laufey has a touch of it. Also, FGs are intersexed for my purposes because shush.
> 
> Notes: For this fic, I am choosing to ignore my usual screams for accuracy: none of this is correct according to Norse mythology - I have literally borrowed names from anywhere within the mythology, but none of it is accurate, and I acknowledge this. Such as:  
> Ikol is in this (as Mushu because talking advisor hello), but this is obviously not JiM!Loki, though you are welcome to interpret it however you want! Unfortunately I had to downplay Mushu’s role because the crack would have been a little too much for my purposes. 
> 
> Sif is not related to Heimdall. Thor and Loki were never brothers. Laufey’s nice and stuff. Farbauti’s male just as he was in mythology, but has no relation to Laufey. Loki’s mother, for my purposes, died giving birth.  
> I made up last names all over the place.  
> All names and phrases anglicised for my brain’s sake.  
> A hybrid of ancient China & Asgard, deal with it.
> 
> Enjoy regardless! xo

\--

 

A flash of dull rusted grey flew over the edge of the stony wall, causing the young guard to turn around and gasp in fear. 

For the most part, patrolling the wall included a number of false alarms and feeble attempts at breeching the protected realm. He gathered his courage to peek over the side before flying back in alarm. His heart raced as he soon caught eye of similar hooks all being anchored to the side of the wall and quickly hurried to his station. 

_We’re under attack!_ his mind shouted as three Jotun soldiers flung open the rickety wooden door to reveal themselves behind him. _Light the signal,_ he reminded himself over and over again as he ran with the Frost Giants at his heels.

He was just barely able to light the flame when he came face-to-face with none other than Farbauti, the leader of the treacherous foes. Immediately, the rest of the wall too alit with the warning fire, alongside wavering red flags that held Asgard’s sigil. The soldier accepted his fate – Farbauti’s forces outnumbered him, but he would die a hero.

“Now all of Asgard knows you’re here,” he said as calmly as he could while his heart thundered in his chest, his spear raised. 

Farbauti’s blood-red eyes were cold and unchanging. He grabbed the red flag off the side of the small pedestal the fire raged on from, rubbing the fabric between his fingers. The corner of his mouth turned upward just the slightest as he uttered a single word. “Perfect.”

The syllables were barely registered as a piercing pain shot through the guard’s chest before he could even launch an attack. His eyes glassed over and his mouth hung open in shock as he fell to the ground, horrified at the warm blood spilling from his heart, a long, jagged spear of ice protruding from his chest. 

Farbauti withdrew his conjured weapon, and tossed the bloodied flag into the fire, letting the symbol of Bor’s dynasty burn as the son of Lieutenant General Coul lay dead beside it.

\--

“Your Majesty, the Frost Giants have crossed our Northern Border!” General Odin exclaimed.

“Impossible!” Bor’s counselor started. “No one can get through the Great Walls of Asgard!”

Odin paid no attention to Heimdall, speaking to the King alone. “Farbauti is leading them. We’ll set up defenses around your palace immediately.”

“No!” Bor’s mighty voice boomed. “Send your troops to protect my people! Heimdall!”

“Yes, your Highness?” Heimdall asked, ever-ready.

Bor stroked his long, whitened beard as he decided the best course of action. “Deliver conscription notices throughout the realm. Call up reserves, and as many new recruits as possible.”

Slightly offended, Odin spoke up. “Forgive me, your Majesty, but I believe my troops can stop him.”

“I won’t take any chances, General. One grain of oat can tip the scale; one man may be the difference between victory and defeat.” With that, the king’s orders were finalized. 

\--

“Be brave and strong… graceful, polite, charming, refined, poised…” Loki’s voice trailed off as he forgot the last of list, twirling a ball of green mist. He conjured up his script again out of thin air. “Punctual!” he exclaimed, letting the orb of magic disintegrate, smacking himself lightly on the forehead. The exact moment the kettle called for his attention, he heard from outside his window a horse’s very impatient snort. 

“Punctual?!” he cried again, leaping from the bed, wondering what time it was. Pulling his inside-out tunic over his head and pouring the boiled water into the prepared teapot upon a tray, he rushed outside to the yard. Hastily looping the handle of a metal pail filled with oats around his ankle, he skittered across the field clumsily. 

“Oh great Norns… Please help Loki impress the Matchmaker today.” Laufey heard, trying to concentrate on his prayers before being interrupted by the squawks of pheasants and neighing of their horse. “Please, please help him,” Laufey pleaded.

“Father! I brought you some – whoa!” Loki said in a startled manner when he tripped over the pail still around his ankle. Laufey’s cane shot out to catch the teapot, though his teacup met a different end. Loki cringed at the shattering of the cup.

“Loki –” 

“I brought a spare!”

“Loki –” 

“Remember, the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning,” Loki said while tipping the pot that hung from Laufey’s cane.

“Loki –” 

“And three at night!”

“Loki!” Laufey said sharply this time, finally silencing his son. “You should already be in town. I’m counting on you to –” 

“Uphold the family honour, I know. Don’t worry, Father. I won’t let you down,” Loki said cheerfully, already turning to leave.

“And remember, no –”

“No M-word, I know! Wish me luck!” He said half-heartedly, not truly believing he could ever find a true match – he didn’t even think girls were interesting, and on top of that, would girls even think _he_ was interesting?

“Good luck!” Laufey called to the running figure before realizing the stitching on the boy’s shirt was on the outside. _I need to pray some more,_ he thought.

 

\--

 

“Loki Laufeyson?”

“Present!” Loki called cheerfully from his place in the line.

The Matchmaker shot an eyebrow up at him. “Speaking without permission…” she mumbled, marking her clipboard with her pen.

 _Oops,_ Loki thought shamefully as he followed the Matchmaker inside.

She wasted no time glancing him over. “Shirt is inside out… Hair is a mess…”

Loki flushed immediately at the juvenile mistakes. Before he could explain that he had lost track of time, she ordered him to take his shirt off. He complied shyly, and for good reason.

“Too skinny… no good for attracting women,” the Matchmaker muttered, poling and prodding at his form.

When he opened his mouth to protest, she commanded him once more. “Recite a passage from the Poetic Edda!” 

This time, Loki beamed, hiding it as he slid his tunic back on – the right way, this time. This had been something he knew he could do better than anyone. He cleared his throat before beginning.

“'Twas night in the dwelling,  
and Norns there came,  
Who shaped the life  
of the lofty one;  
They bade him most famed  
of fighters all  
And best of princes  
ever to be –”

 

“Boring,” the Matchmaker cut him off, scribbling again on her damned notes. 

_I didn’t even get to –_ Loki’s thoughts were cut off as she grabbed him by the arm and led him across the floor to an arrangement of weapons. 

“Now, wield a weapon of your choice. To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate that you can protect their daughter. You must be agile.”

“Um…” Loki said awkwardly as he picked up the lightest-looking weapon – a thin pole-arm. 

“And poised!” snapped the Matchmaker. Loki instantly straightened his back before attempting to slash at an invisible target in front of him. His long, lean limbs did him no justice as he continued to swing the weapon around without true aim, until he accidentally knocked over a very expensive looking vase.

“Clumsy!” shouted the Matchmaker, shaking her head.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that!” Loki tried to apologize, swinging around to face the Matchmaker, forgetting the length of the pole-arm, knocking over the coal-fire which caught on the end of her robes.

The Matchmaker’s eyes widened in panic as she shrieked “Put it out! Put it out!” She was frantic, dancing from foot to foot in hopes of escaping being burned. 

Loki looked around before spotting a small cauldron to the side. Without even thinking, he instinctively emptied the contents – which looked like water – onto the Matchmaker. Little did he know that the water had still been boiling. He backed away from the frantic woman, muttering a string of apologies before ducking out of the building. 

“You are a _DISGRACE!_ You will _never_ bring your family honour!” she shouted after him. He fled the scene before the villagers could mock him as he was sure they would. 

_You will never bring your family honour_. The words kept repeating themselves, drowning out all the whispers that soon arose. He felt tears sting the back of his eyes as he made his way home, head hung in shame. He had let his father down – his father who had been through so much, sacrificed so much for him. _Look at me… I’ll never pass for a perfect man, or a perfect son. I just wasn’t meant to play this part._

Laufey could immediately tell that something was wrong. His usually cheerful, bouncing son shuffled through the gate with his eyes trained on the dirt beneath him. He didn’t have to go as so far as to guess that his meeting with the Matchmaker hadn’t gone too well. 

“Have a look here, my son,” Laufey said gently. “What strong animals we have this year – but look,” he whispered while pointing to a dwarfed chick, struggling to keep up with the group. “I bet when it grows to full term, it will be the strongest rooster out of them all.” Loki only nodded slightly before sitting down to scoop up the misfit chick. Laufey took the moment to carefully look over his son.

 

It wasn’t a secret that Loki was different from the other boys in the realm – in fact, it was a secret that was the difference between life and death. Loki was his only son, his precious and beloved treasure, and he would go through great lengths to keep him safe – which was why he had fled in the first place.

 

_“He’s a runt! He’ll never survive!”_

_“Put him out of his misery already!”_

_“He’s a weakling, he’ll only slow us down!”_

But Laufey had known better. He sensed the dormant power within his son the moment the baby had been placed in his arms – such a rare, beautiful gift. With the limited power he had himself, he cloaked them to sneak past the Great Wall with invisibility and glamour, and what a struggle it had been. The draining of energy it had taken for him to hide them had been so tremendous that he had been weakened when they finally made it over the Wall. Just as he was about to find a safe haven for the night, he felt their protection slip – his reserves had been depleted – when the most miraculous thing had occurred. He felt a rush of energy – of _life_ it seemed like, coursing through his body, emanating from the tiny bundle in his arms. His skin was still a pale hue and he cooed the child for its brilliance, even if it had not opened its eyes yet. 

It was here that Laufey raised the boy, keeping him close at all times to ensure they would never be found out. With the realms at war, he and his son would be executed without a doubt. It became easier with time, as Loki’s magical abilities soon surpassed his. He watched his son grow to be powerful in a way that no Frost Giant had ever been, and in a way that the Asgardians would fear. In time, he explained their situation to the stunned and innocent child, who only strove to protect them just as he had. Laufey trained Loki in the ways of magic from the moment he could speak, in case anything should happen so that he may hide and live in Asgard undetected. He worried for Loki, and how much magic it took to keep up his glamour – it sapped at his energy, making him even more thin and dwarfed. 

He remembered the first time he had ever been separated from his young boy, the exact moment when he thought his fears would get the best of him: the heartbroken look on Loki’s face when he was called to join the Royal Army. The neighbours had kindly taken the toddler in, promising to care for him until Laufey returned. Neither of them had ever been so scared before in their lives. Still, Laufey knew that he had no choice – if the Frost Giants made their way into Asgard, Loki would be in immediate danger. 

He became a true soldier, willing to die for his realm if that meant protecting his only child. In fact, Laufey might never have escaped the crusade had it not been for his sheer determination to be reunited with his son. His inability to use magic for fear of being discovered caused him to take a mighty blow to the knee, shattering the cap. Still, he returned with cane in hand, a proud and honoured war hero.

 _“I wanna be just like you, papa!”_ Loki had said with shining eyes. _“A hero! I’m going to make you proud one day, just you wait and see!”_

Loki had always been so eager. He had only been a young boy when he devised a monthly brew to make their glamour permanent without relying on their magic. Just as in everything else, he exceeded all expectations, his intelligence and cunning mind developing quickly. Laufey had, and would always be, proud of his son. He only wished that Loki would believe that as much as he meant it. 

A thundering drumming and loud horn broke Laufey from his thoughts. 

“What is it?” Loki asked.

“Stay here,” Laufey warned, limping his way to the gate and outside. Though he was always one to listen to his father, there was no way Loki would let his father out of his sight, especially when his knee was hurting so badly. He saw horses trotting with flags bearing the royal seal flying behind them. _This can’t be good,_ Loki thought.

“Citizens!” boomed Heimdall in a deep, commanding voice. “I bring a proclamation from the Royal Palace! The Frost Giants have invaded Asgard! By order of the King, one man from every family household must serve in the Royal Army!” 

He retrieved multiple scrolls to hand out, as well as a longer scroll from the saddle pack to read from. “The house of Valk!”

“I will serve the King in my father’s place!” a girl with dark hair shouted, reaching for the scroll.

“Women have no place in the army!” Heimdall frowned. “The scroll is to go to your father!” The girl, Sif, if Loki recalled correctly, glared angrily at Heimdall before regrettably handing the scroll to an elder man who had a terrible burn on his face. The pair waded through the murmuring crowd.

“The house of Coul!” 

A sturdy man reached forward, hard determination set in his face. “For my son!” he proclaimed, placing his fist over his heart. Heimdall nodded to him, handing him a scroll as well.

“The house of Laufey!”

“No!” Loki cried as Laufey made his way to Heimdall, trying to walk as proudly as he could.

“I am ready to serve the King,” Laufey said calmly.

“Father, you can’t go!” Loki pleaded.

“Loki!” Laufey snapped as Loki ran past him to Heimdall’s horse, nearly scaring the creature.

“Please, sir! My father has already fought for –”

“Silence!” Heimdall commanded. He turned to Laufey then. “You would do well to teach your boy to hold his tongue in a _man’s_ presence.”

“Loki, you dishonour me!” Laufey hissed. 

“Report tomorrow at Senna Camp,” Heimdall instructed.

“Yes, sir,” Laufey said with a bow, turning to leave Heimdall who continued to call out names.

Loki trailed after his dad, heart thumping in his chest in agony. _Please don’t do this father!_

He helped his father prepare dinner in silence, but as they sat down to eat, he couldn’t contain his thoughts any longer. “You shouldn’t have to go!” he blurted out.

“Loki –”

“There are plenty of young men to fight for Asgard! I see them all the time brandishing their fake swords, practically _screaming_ for the chance to swing a real one!”

“It is an honour to protect my realm, and my _family_ ,” Laufey stressed.

 _Honour, honour, it’s always about honour!_ “So you’ll die for honour!?” Loki asked exasperatedly.

“For you! I will die doing what’s right!”

“But if you –”

“I know my place!” Laufey cut him off abruptly, patience wearing thin. “It is time you learned yours.”

Loki had never been scolded by his father so harshly before. He could feel tears filling his eyes and turned to flee outside. He gulped in the crisp evening air heavily, trying his hardest to keep the tears at bay – and failing. From inside, he could hear the muffled thumps of his father’s training. Loki sighed, knowing that deep in his heart, his father pushed past his limits for the sake of their family… It was just the two of them, they were all the other person had.  
He quietly crept around the house to peek into the side windows, where his father had kept all of the memorabilia from his war days. Loki’s heart caught in his throat when he saw his father brandishing his old sword. His father had always been his idol, he was the epitome of what every man should be – a brave, strong warrior who could vanquish the opposing forces with ease against all odds. Everyone honoured him, praised him for being a hero, even though he was different. _Why can’t I be just like him?_

The clang of Laufey’s sword hitting the ground jarred Loki back to reality – his father now clutched his knee in pain, limping to the nearest wall and breathing heavily. Loki’s heart ached for his father. _I can be. I have to be._

He knew then what he had to do, even as his mind clouded like the skies above.

\--

_Bang!_

_What was that?!_ Laufey woke with a start. _Loki!_ He threw the covers off, swinging his legs off the bed. He rushed through the hall, ignoring the flaring pain of his knee. He knew there was something wrong the moment he saw that Loki’s door was askew. 

_He’s gone!_ Laufey thought in panic before entering the room. He ran to his small armoury, ready to arm himself to rush after this kidnapper, but his heart sank further at the sight of the barren room. The cupboard that held his armour was empty, the doors flung aside unceremoniously. The small side table that held his scroll from Heimdall was missing, and in its place laid Loki’s clothes, folded neatly.

 _It can’t be…_ He ran to the garden, and realized what the earlier disturbance had been. Sleipnir’s gate flew wildly in the night wind, the horse nowhere in sight. _Loki, no!_ Laufey was truly at a loss. He had no map, no way of getting to Loki before he reached the camp. And if I reveal him, he’ll be killed. Laufey buried his hands in his face. 

_Norns, hear my prayer. Please, oh please, watch over my Loki._ he sunk to his knees, head still bowed, letting the rain fall on his shoulders heavy as his guilt. 

\--

Verdandi, Skuld and Wyrd awoke with a start, their threads of fate glowing as they unravelled and realigned themselves. 

“Oh my,” Wyrd murmured. 

“Always tangling the threads, he is,” Skuld chimed in. 

“Ah, but look here,” Verdandi pointed, her fingertips dancing around the golden line. 

“Could it be?” 

“Oh, it could, it could!”

“We must –”

“We mustn’t –”

Wyrd paid no attention to her sisters’ bickering. She was fate, after all. “Ikol, awaken!”

The stone statue she spoke to trembled and glowed before seemingly dissolving into a sea of lush,black feathers. 

“Wyrd!” her sisters cried. Verdandi was never one to tamper, and spoke up instantly. “You would be meddling with what’s written!”

“That’s what we do!” she argued, with Skuld nodding in agreement. “It is necessary,” she insisted, once Verdandi’s face had softened. “Ikol, it is destiny that you hold in your words. Go forth, and fulfill your duty.”

“Advise?” The magpie asked.

“Advise.”

The flutter of black wings sprung forth, disappearing into the storm. 

\--

Farbauti’s troops trudged on with mud to knees, staining the ends of their thick fur pelts that hung form their waists. They persevered through the marshy terrains of the northern part of Asgard. 

“Halt,” Farbauti ordered. He scanned their surroundings before silently pointing at his nearest sentries and directing them to a large thicket of bushes. 

“Royal Scouts,” Farbauti’s men spat. 

“Far-Farbauti!” Gudbrand said, young eyes wide with terror.

“Excellent work, gentlemen, you’ve found the Frost Giant army,” Farbauti said while feigning surrender by putting his hands up. The men around him laughed.

“The King will stop you,” Hakon threatened, his voice deep with age.

“Stop me!?” Farbauti mocked. “He invited me!” At the confused glance between the two scouts, Farbauti leaned in closer. “He invited me by building his wall, he challenged my strength. Well, I’m here to play his little game. Go! Tell your precious King to send his strongest armies, because I’m _ready_!” He lunged forward, causing the two guards to fall backwards before scurrying off.

“How many men does it take to deliver a message?” Farbauti asked his men.

His closest guard, Elivagar, caught on quickly. He grinned before replying simply. “One.”

“That’s what I thought,” Farbauti said with a wicked smile. He turned his attention to an archer, who had already nocked an arrow. 

\--

Loki paced in front of Sleipnir, frantic with worry. Okay, so perhaps he hadn’t exactly planned this very well, but what else was he supposed to do? 

“Maybe I should try to be more menacing!” Loki said, trying his best to puff out his chest and sturdy his arms by his side. Sleipnir snickered as if to laugh at him.

Loki hung his head in despair, “I’m working on it, okay!” 

“Work harder,” came a strange voice.

“Ngah!” Loki cried in surprise, unsheathing the sword clumsily. “Who’s there?” 

“I’m here!”

“Come out where I can see you!”

“Look harder.”

Loki was getting infuriated by the mysterious voice, his eyes scanning the forest around him diligently. A small black creature flew down from the branch he had glanced over and perched upon a rock.

“Didn’t look hard enough.”

“Who… are you?” Loki asked in confusion.

“Spiritual advisor.”

“And what do I call you… spiritual advisor?”

“Think harder.”

Loki groaned in frustration. Deciding he was alone enough to get away with just a slightest bit of magic, he summoned a tiny length of it – and found himself blocked. His eyes flew open as he stared at the bird with horror. 

“You – you –”

“Me?”

As Loki studied the bird, the name seemed to sharpen into focus from the back of his mind like it had always been there. How strange that it would be his name backwards.

“Ikol?” 

“Me!”

“You were sent for me, then?”

The magpie merely cawed at him. 

“Well… I can’t say you’re very helpful,” Loki said grumpily, crossing his arms, staring the bird down. With a cock of its head, Ikol merely settled down on the stone. Loki sighed and threw his arms up in surrender. “But I suppose I’m grateful for any help I can get. I’m just so nervous… I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Stiff back, chest out, let’s go!” With that, Ikol flew off, and Loki had no choice but to follow. 

“C’mon Sleipnir,” he said, tugging at the horse’s reigns. “Let’s just hope nothing terrible happens.”

The camp was loud with activity; the men all lay out in front of their tents or crowded in circles sizing each other up. On more than one occasion, Loki had seen men picking their noses openly or picking at something caught in their teeth, or worse – their toes. He crinkled his nose and pulled a face, muttering to Ikol. “That’s disgusting!”

“Better watch carefully then,” the bird responded.

Somewhere to his left he heard a young man boasting about how strong he was, and decided to go where the crowd gathered. Apparently the bragging had turned into arm-wrestling challenge a cut-down tree stump and it wasn’t looking so well for the hot-headed recruit. 

Though the man he challenged was shorter and stockier, and clearly not from around the area, he was clearly winning. He barely sweat as he slammed the challenger’s hand down on the stump, his friends cheering from behind. 

“Ha! No one can defeat Hogun!”

“You need friends,” Ikol squawked from his perch upon Loki’s shoulder, half-hidden by the boy’s inky locks. 

_Right. Friends._

“Good one!” he exclaimed, and the men fell silent. The winner, Hogun, had dark hair and a tanned complexion that was unlike the golden population of Asgard. His eyes were angled and looked like he might have come from south of the border. His friends consisted of a tall, lean blonde man with an immaculate moustache and a voluminous redhead who seemed jolly about everything. They stared at him as if he had fungus shooting from his nose.

‘ _Punch him. It’s how warriors greet each other._ ’

‘ _Whoa! You can – we… We can talk through telepathy?”_ ’

‘ _Focus! Punch!_ ’

Against better judgement, Loki punched the man, which he obviously wasn’t expecting from the way he bumped into the rounded warrior.

“Oof!” The air was muffled in the great girth of his friend, who merely laughed and held him closer.

“You have made a new friend!” he said cheerfully. “Hello new one! I am Volstagg!”

‘ _I have a feeling that didn’t go as it was supposed to._ ’

‘ _Mission accomplished either way._ ’

Loki cleared his throat and extended his hand to Volstagg, who shook it with such gusto Loki nearly flew off the ground. 

“New friend?” What are you talking about! This fool punched me for no reason!”

“Er – sor—“

Before he could apologize, Hogun lunged for him. Loki quickly dove to the side, making him tackle his other friend. Ikol swirled above, and if magpies could smile, he would be positively beaming with the chaos below. 

“Get off me, you oaf!” the blonde one cried, kicking Hogun off him, sending him flying into Volstagg. They knocked down tents and posts, all reaching and grabbing for someone else. Loki thanked his lanky frame then as he slipped between the mass of men who were joining in on the fight. He weaved his way through the crowd, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw destruction. Volstagg was falling towards a group of people, who were still scrambling amongst themselves. He knocked them over with ease, causing them to in turn knock over another fighting pair. The domino effect reached the pot of grain, tipping the entire thing over.

That sure caught their attention. Loki was suddenly the centre of attention as all eyes turned to stare at him.

He gulped nervously. ‘ _A little help here?_ ’ he called out in his mind. There wasn’t a response, and Loki cursed the bird as the group of men backed him up against a tent – the Captain’s Tent, no less – and glowered at him.

\--

“The Frost Giants have struck here, here, and here,” General Odin said while pointing to each spot. “I will take the main troops up to the Serpent’s Pass and stop Farbauti before he destroys this village,” he finished, pointing to a narrow stretch.

“Excellent strategy sir!” Heimdall commented. “I do love surprises.”

Odin turned to his son then. “You will stay and train the new recruits. When Heimdall believes you are ready, you will join us… Captain.” He smiled at the last word, patting his son on the back of the neck.

“… Captain?”

Heimdall cleared his throat. “This is an enormous responsibility, General. Perhaps you’d like to appoint a soldier with more experience?” He straightened himself out in front of Odin. 

“Number one in his class, extensive knowledge of training techniques, and let’s not forget about the impressive military lineage,” Odin said with a sly smile. “I believe Thor will do an excellent job.”

“Oh, I will! I won’t let you down! This is… I mean… Er, yes sir,” Thor finally settled, saluting his father with a slight blush.

“Very good, then! We’ll toast Asgard’s victory at the Royal Palace when we return,” Odin said confidently, returning professional once more. “I’ll expect a full report in three weeks.”

“And believe me, I won’t leave anything out,” Heimdall muttered.

 _Captain Thor – leader of Asgard’s finest troops!_ he thought to himself as Odin let them all outside.

The scene before them was horrendous. There were scattered men everywhere, their food supply strewn across the ground.

“Most impressive,” Heimdall said smugly.

“Good luck… Captain!” Odin winked before hopping on his horse. 

“Good luck… Father,” Thor bowed, and with that, his father spurned his great white horse on, leading lines upon lines of soldiers. Noticing Heimdall already scratching away on his clipboard, he turned his attention to the tangle of men. “Soldiers!”

Upon hearing his voice, the recruits immediately straightened, all backing away from Loki as though he were a culprit being apprehended. 

“HE started it!” they all cried in unison.

‘ _Thanks a lot,_ ’ Loki thought miserably.

Thor made his way over to Loki, who was still cowering on the floor. Loki thought that his presence alone was enough to suffocate a man. “I don’t need anyone causing trouble in my camp, you hear me?” he said to Loki.

“Sorry!” he squeaked, the very opposite of masculine.

“What’s your name?” Thor demanded, crossing his arms.

“Loki,” he almost whispered. 

“Let me see your conscription notice,” he ordered, extending a hand to curl and uncurl his fingers.

After fumbling a bit with the too-big armour, he handed over the scroll he had.

Thor’s eyes widened upon reading the text. “House of Laufey? _The_ Laufey?”

“My father, sir,” Loki replied timidly.

“I didn’t know he had any children,” Thor commented.

“Er, he doesn’t talk about me much,” Loki said shyly. Though he knew it was to protect him, he still felt awful admitting this fact.

“Right.,” Thor said dismissively. He turned his attention to the entire group. “Okay, gentlemen. Thanks to your new friend Loki, you’ll spend tonight picking up every piece of grain off the floor. Unless you want to starve to death. Tomorrow, the real work begins.” He left to duck back into his tent, letting the men grumble and stubbornly drop to their knees to pick up their dropped food. 

Loki was amazed he didn’t spontaneously combust from all the heated glares he received.

' _You should really work on your people skills,_ ' Ikol provided rather unhelpfully, swooping to peck the grains off the ground that had been spilt.


	2. Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mister, I'lllll make a man out of youuuuuuuuuuuu"

The next morning, Loki awoke to a pecking at his nose and when he went to brush away the feeling, a sharp pain shot up his index finger. 

“Ow!” he cried, his eyes flying wide open now. He found himself staring in the glossy eyes of a small black bird – and his memories washed over him. He looked around the dismal tent and groaned. 

‘ _Rise and shine, rise and shine!_ ’

Loki moved to pull the blanket back over his head, but Ikol had a firm grip on the other corner with his beak and tore it right off again.

‘ _Clothes on, eat food, go on, go on!_ ’

The smell wafted into his nostrils and Loki had to admit, it was somewhat appealing. Warm porridge was a delightful thought. “Ungggggggggggggggggggggg,” Loki grumbled, but he remembered his duties – to his father, to his realm, now. “Am I late?”

‘ _No time to ask. First day, first day! Eat, let’s go!_ ’

“You are a rather unhelpful little bird,” Loki muttered, greedily spooning the porridge in his mouth though he had no idea how Ikol had managed to get his hands on it. 

‘ _First day, first day! Kick butt! Be intimidating, scare the boys!_ ’

“Can you just let me finish!” Loki said, his mouth full of porridge.

‘ _That is perhaps the least intimidating thing I’ve seen all my life_ ’

Loki gulped down the last mouthful, paying no attention to the advisor who was currently not advising him. 

Outside the tent, he heard Sleipnir neighing frantically. 

‘ _How dare the troops leave without you!_ ’

“They _WHAT_?” Loki cried, rushing out of the tent while dressing himself sloppily. He flings himself on Sleipnir, who has helpfully crouched the slightest bit, and they storm off in a cloud of dirt as fast as Sleipnir can go. Even though they were meeting in the middle of camp, he had pitched his tent as close to the edge as he could, knowing he didn’t fit in with the rest of the troop. 

‘ _Forgetting your sword, always good_ ’ Ikol chirps. Loki grumbles as he holds on for dear life for the short ride.

\--

He reaches the other recruits just in time, just as they were shouting at Heimdall about some sort of delicacy or the other. Loki paid no attention, now grateful for the breakfast Ikol had provided. Sleipnir promptly lies on the ground outside of the training area, no doubt waiting for Loki to finish. Ikol flew in lazy circles above the grounds, keeping an eye on his little mischief maker. 

‘ _Thank you_ ’ he says in his mind. He knows Ikol has heard him when a loud caw comes from overheard. 

“Looks like our new friend slept in this morning. Why hello, Loki. Are ya hungry?” the blonde, Fandral, from yesterday asked. Loki opened his mouth to respond before Hogun cut in.

“Yeah, ‘cause I still owe you a knuckle sandwich.” 

Loki’s eyebrows shot up as he closed his mouth and opened it again to respond. He was interrupted once again, by Thor this time.

“Soldiers! You will assemble swiftly and silently, every morning. Anyone who does otherwise will answer to me,” he says in an official manner. He then removes his shirt as if it weren’t a big a deal and bustles about with some of the weapons behind him.

Loki can’t tell if he’s dreaming or not when his eyes trace over the hard contours of Thor’s body and rippling skin with every movement. He can make out the defined muscles in back and arms when Thor fiddles with a bow and arrow. He gulps when Thor turns to face them again. 

“Oooh, tough guy,” Hogun says sarcastically, folding his arms.

Thor nocked an arrow and pointed it directly at Hogun. Loki and Fandral shuffled off to the side in fear, leaving Hogun to stand by himself. Thor smirked before raising the bow upward, and releasing the arrow to let it lodge in the wooden high pole behind him in the middle of camp. 

“Hogun, thank you for volunteering!” Thor says. “Retrieve the arrow.”

“Oh I’ll get that arrow, pretty boy. And I’ll do it with my shirt _on_ ,” he grumbles as he makes his way to the pole proudly with his head held high in the air.

“One moment, you seem to be missing something!” Thor bellows cheerfully. He pulls two giant discs which look as though they weighed a ton, and it was proven so when Thor tied one of them around Hogun’s wrist and the soldier’s arm promptly fell lower. “This represents discipline.” He tied the remaining medallion on Hogun’s other wrist, causing him to slump slightly. “This represents strength. You’ll need both to reach the arrow.”

Loki watched as Hogun jumped on the pole to give himself a head start, and clambered upward, the medallions swinging wildly. The momentum worked against him as he slid down the pole to land on his rump. 

Thor removed the medallions from Hogun’s wrists, and motioned for the next soldier up. Loki purposely sidestepped for Fandral to come into view. Fandral was taller, though leaner. When the discs were tied to his wrists, he almost faceplanted with the extra weight. Still, he strode to the pole and tried to slowly claw his way up, legs trembling with the effort to clamp the shaft of wood between his knees. The technique failed as Fandral barely made it a few inches before falling backwards and landing flat on the ground. Thor removed the discs from him as well, and let Volstagg try. Volstagg grabbed the pole, swung his feet up and made it all of a finger’s length before letting go of the pole and huffing heavily. Loki was pushed forth, and faced the inevitable disaster. The weights were so heavy that he almost crashed into the pole when his arms fell forward. He could barely lift the weights alone, how was he to climb this thing?!

Nonetheless, he followed his orders. He clung to the tree trunk, slithering up the length as he used his feet to shuffle upwards. He made it no further than Fandral before his deadweight arms betrayed him and went slack. He fell to the ground with a painful crash, and could see Thor shaking his head.

“We’ve got a long way to go.”

He looked at the rest of the crew, all shifting nervously from still having to face this seemingly impossible feat. 

“Come on, let’s get down to business! We’ve to defeat the Frost Giants!”

Loki visibly cowered at the term, fearful for his life.

When the next recruit tried, his first motion was to swing his arms around the pole, hitting himself in the knee with one of his discs. ‘Strength’ if Loki could recall correctly, which amused him as the man immediately fell off the pole and clutched his knee in agony.

“Did they send me women when I asked for men?” he heard Thor mutter under his breath. He felt his face flush slightly, knowing that he truly possessed the strength of an average woman, he was sure of it.

“Alright, listen up!” Thor bellowed, getting everyone’s attention. “You’re the saddest bunch I’ve ever met,” he said bluntly. “But you can bet that before we’re though, I’ll make a man out of every single one of you.”

There was a mixed reaction as some men murmured and some men whooped in joy. Loki remained silent as he studied Thor’s broad frame. The Captain was bringing out more weapons and training equipment. 

He set up stations for practicing: archery, pole-arm sparring, balancing, and of course, the arrow-retrieving station, which most men pointedly tried to avoid. 

Loki made a move for the least-dangerous station. Balancing required you to balance a bucket of water on your head, with a blindfold on. _This should be easy_ , he thought as he placed the blindfold on, letting Thor place the bucket over his head. He seemed to be doing really well, until he felt a small stone hit his shoulder. 

“Hey!” he yelled, about to claim cruelty. 

“You must be as tranquil as the forest now,” Thor’s voice replied, as he threw another small rock. “But on fire within.”

 _This is definitely not what I had in mind._ How terribly he misunderstood the point of this exercise! He heard Thor’s footsteps towards him and gulped. 

“Once you find your centre,” he instructed, placing his hands upon Loki’s shoulders to help him lower his centre of gravity. “You are sure to win.”

Loki was so focused on the burning warmth of Thor’s large hands that he had forgotten he was still going to be pelted with rocks. Once Thor resumed showering him with pebbles, he jerked awkwardly again, no doubt spilling the water everywhere, and managing to collect small bruises along his body while simultaneously looking like a drowned creature. 

He quickly gave up and moved to the pole-arms with Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg, leaving Thor to stare after him.

‘ _Let me die,_ ’ he thought miserably. 

‘ _Can’t. Against my orders,_ ’ came a reply. 

“You’re a spineless, pale, pathetic lot!” Thor shouted to the men trying to climb the pole, getting no farther than the previous recruits. Loki cringed at the words, but tried to focus on his station when he saw Thor headed their way. 

“I’m never gonna catch my breath,” Volstagg complained, heaving with a hand upon his great girth.

“Yeah, I might as well say good-bye to those who knew me,” Hogun agreed.

“This guy’s got ‘em scared to death,” Fandral told Loki, motioning towards the bulking blonde now overseeing their practice. He handed a pole-arm to Loki and turned to square off against him. 

Loki gulped as he remembered how terribly it had gone the last time he held this exact weapon. Every boy in the village grew up with twigs and sticks turned to wooden swords or spears; it was almost unnatural for a boy to be so uncoordinated as Loki. ‘ _I hope he doesn’t see right through me._ ’

Fandral wasted no time in showing him up, swiftly knocking his staff to the side, when Loki was too slow. 

“You must be as swift as a coursing river,” Thor instructed, to which Loki bowed and tried again. 

This time, he was quick enough to dodge Fandral’s attack, but his retaliation to the blonde’s knee was so weak it was almost unregistered.

“With the force of a great typhoon,” Thor chipped in again, enthusiastically miming jabbing Fandral. “With all the strength of a raging fire!”

Loki tried once more, this time putting much more of his momentum in his swings, yet it seemed Fandral was always a step ahead of him.

When Thor called a break between them, Fandral returned his pole to the bin, while Thor pulled Loki aside. “You did better, but it was obvious where you were going to strike. You must be as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.” With that, he wandered off to watch the others again.

‘ _Where does he get such weird analogies?_ ’ Loki wondered, sauntering over to a nearby tree for shade from the blistering sun.

‘ _I’m sure there’s a hand guide,_ ’ Ikol said before swooping down to land on Loki’s shoulder. ‘ _You smell._ ’


	3. Retrieve

Day after day, the torturous training dragged on, and each day caused Loki to find a new reason to hate it.

The next morning, he found that his bruises had begun turning an ugly shade of yellow, and his limbs had been sore. To his luck, Thor introduced their training regimen, void of any breaks they may have caught the day before.

At the crack of dawn, they were expected to jog the entire perimeter of the camp, making a detour around the edge of the forest, which was marked with a rapidly flowing stream. The run took them downhill, through a small section of the stream, and just as your shoes were heavy with water, uphill again. To make matters worse, you were expected to carry twenty pounds upon your shoulders, which Thor could obviously lift with ease. The rest of the group fared well, all being approximately the same size if not close, while Loki was left feeling like a baby bird being left behind. 

It didn’t seem so back when they went for the first time as a group, Thor and Volstagg leading the group, Hogun and Fandral not far behind. Loki had kept up as best he could, but slowly and surely, his muscles were beginning to tire. He reached for a small bit of energy to help him lighten the load, but the icy, uncomfortable force of Ikol’s magic blocked him once again.

He grumbled, though it was cut short from the sheer lack of strength he had left. He was covered in sweat, his arms and shoulder seemingly on fire, and his knees were going to give out soon. He had long since drifted to the back of the pack, lagging behind as the others endured on. Disgraced, he kept his head low, until he felt the weight being lifted from his back. He looked up to see the disappointment and disapproval across Thor’s face as the giant blonde easily took both their weights and ran off once more to the head of group, leaving Loki to hang his head in shame and embarrassment as he made his way back to the end of the group now that he wasn’t being weighed down. The looks he caught were obvious enough: argr. The flush of exertion only deepened as he finished the course with the rest of the warriors.

After a small lunch, they would break into assigned groups to take turns at the separate stations as before, Thor peering over them and scrutinizing their every action. 

“To anyone who may retrieve this arrow, you will become the top graduate of this training regime, and worthy of my utmost respect,” he announced, leaving the challenge for anyone who dared.

It should be known that day after day, men tried and failed, though they all desired their Captain’s high praise – what an honour that would be!

Loki couldn’t bring himself to admit it, but he too desired the chance to retrieve the arrow that loomed over the camp – to hear his name spoken with softness from Thor’s lips. Alas, he was struggling with the daily routine as it was, but he wouldn’t – he _couldn’t_ let it get the best of him. _Honour._

If his father was willing to die for it, then he was willing to as well.

He pushed himself harder and harder, and it became apparent to Fandral, his designated sparring partner, that Loki was yearning to win. They became evenly matched in a matter of hours, Loki unwilling to give up and unwilling to let Fandral go before he was ready. Both men were exhausted, their arms past the burning sensation and just turning heavy as lead. The sweat soaked through their clothing, and caused their hair to hang in their faces. Before the end of the day, Loki had bested Fandral twice, and each match he was defeated had been even until the end.

“Loki, that was incredible!” Fandral said genuinely, clapping him on the shoulder. Loki returned the compliment before noticing that Thor had been eavesdropping, watching them out of the corner of his eye. He swore he saw a hint of a smile on the Captain’s face, which made his heart swell with pride.

“Good, but you need more practice,” Thor commented. Loki turned to argue before Thor dropped low and swung his leg out, knocking Loki’s legs from beneath him and making him land on his back. He gaped up at Thor with a shocked look, resembling an overturned turtle. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look of the Captain’s face, but Thor turned swiftly and headed for his tent before Loki could react.

Tomorrow would be a whole new day, he was sure of it.

And each day, he would think that very same thought.

\--

Loki rose before Ikol, blinking his eyes to slowly reveal the nesting bird in the rumple of sheets beside his pillow. 

He had dreamt of his father and woke to find that he was still at the dismal camp, and he craved home terribly. Though it had been less than a month, he missed everything he had left behind and hoped more than anything that his father was doing alright. 

He thought about all the life lessons Laufey had taught him, all the wise words he spoke and riddles he would say. Most importantly, he pictured Laufey’s word of encouragement, for he needed them now more than ever.

 _”It isn’t always about strength, little one,”_ Laufey had said when Loki ran crying to him one day. The boys had been teasing him for being “weak” and uncoordinated with a play sword. He had exclaimed he never wanted to play with the other boys again. _“Remember that we are different – our art requires great discipline. Your strongest weapon is your mind, and Loki, my child, you are the most cunning boy I have ever met.”_

‘ _Oh Father, why aren’t you here right now?_ ’ Loki wondered. 

_”It isn’t always about strength, little one.”_

‘ _Strength. Discipline._ ’

He carefully crawled out of his sleeping bag so as to not disturb Ikol, a sudden wave of purpose washing over him. Images of his father pushing him further, and he left through his tent, the fluttering of the flaps stirring his advisor. Fuelled by the memory of his father’s words, Loki went on, tying the heavy medallions to his own wrists. He locked the two discs behind the pole, tying them together – strength and discipline as one, together. He pulled the ribbon taut, placing a steady foot along the pole. As if he defied gravity, he pulled himself up the impossibly tall post, the fire of determination burning through his body along with the ache. When he surpassed the halfway point, he had to squint to avoid the blinding rays of the rising sun. One foot in front of the next, he scaled the wooden shaft, until the arrow was just an arm’s length away.

 _Almost there!_ he thought excitedly, the adrenaline pulsing through his shaky limbs. Bringing both ribbons to one hand, he used his other to place a flat palm on the top of the post, and hauled his body up, dropping his bottom on the flattened stump. The medallions now hung from the crook of his elbows as he grabbed the arrow and yanked it out of the post, just as the other recruits had slowly come out of their tents. 

He looked down to the murmuring of the men below, and in an act of triumph, he flung the arrow down, right outside the Captain’s tent. It just so happened that Thor was also rising for the day’s events, and when his eyes saw the arrow, he immediately looked to the wooden pole, letting his tent flap drop behind him. A swelling of pride swirled in his chest as he saw his smallest recruit perched on top, the sun behind him like a Halo. They made eye contact, and for a brief second, he saw a smug smile on Loki’s lips, and heard the hurrah of the men around him. 

Ikol had witnessed the whole thing, and for once was at a loss for a snippy comment. He flew from his place on the branches and landed on Loki’s shoulders once more.

‘ _I did it!_ ’ Loki exclaimed in his mind.

‘ _You still smell_ ’ Ikol commented, taking off again. Perhaps he wasn’t as at a loss as he thought.

\-- 

"What do you see?" Farbauti demanded of the scout up the sturdy snow-topped tree. 

"Black pine ... from the high mountains!"

"What more?"

"White horse hair ... Imperial stallions!"

"Yes, yes, that's more like! What else?" 

"Sulphur ... from the cannons?"

That had been exactly what Farbauti needed to hear. "This little birdie came from a village just by Serpent's Pass, where the Imperial Army is waiting. Could there be such a coincidence?” he asked, raising his hand that caged the bird in question – a small sparrow, yet to experience its first spring. 

"We can avoid them easily," the same archer from earlier suggested. 

"Oh no, no, no. No. The quickest way to the emperor is through that pass. Besides, the little girl will be missing her pet, now won’t she? We should return it to her."

Nobody challenged their ruthless leader when he curled his fingers tighter, the snapping of fragile little bones and panicked squawking being swept away by the chilly breeze. 

\--

 

‘ _Not a good idea. Somebody could see you._ ’

 

"Well I can't just stay smelling like this!" Loki replied stubbornly. "You’ve insulted me enough, I have to bath at some point."

‘ _Full tilt diva, you are._ ’

Loki elected to ignore the bird, relishing in the water of the hot springs lapping at his skin, running over the sore bruises of his body. 

‘ _The point of this is to be a soldier, that means smelling like a sock. Come on, come on now. Any longer and you'll resemble a prune._ ’ 

"Ikol, if you're so worried, go stand watch!"

‘ _Fly watch._ ’ Ikol corrected. No sooner had he taken flight did he hear the footsteps and hushed giggling of men approaching, and Hogun’s gruff voice.

“Me first! Me first!”

‘ _You know, there're a couple of things I _KNOW_ they're bound to notice!_’

Loki sunk further in the water, placing his hands in front of his sexes, something foreign to the Asgardians. Just at that moment, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun had all jumped in the water, Volstagg displacing quite a bit of water. 

"Hey, Loki!" Fandral greeted. 

Loki nearly jumped out of his skin. “Oh, hey guys!” he nodded in acknowledge to keep his hands right where they were. “I, uh, didn’t think anyone would be there. Well, I was just finished, so I’m gonna go now.” 

As he started to shuffle away, Fandral gracefully appeared by his side. “Oh come now! I know we were jerks before, so what do you say we start over?” He didn’t leave Loki time to respond, slinging an arm over Loki’s shoulders and sticking his free hand out in front of Loki’s’ face. “Hi, I’m Fandral.” 

Loki was oblivious to the flirtatious look the blonde threw him, too occupied with the alarms going off in his head. 

“And I’m Volstagg!” the redhead re-introduced himself.

“Hello Volstagg,” Loki replied awkwardly. “Fandral,” he added, ignoring the extended hand and nodding again.

“And I’m Hogun, King of the Spring! And there ain’t a thing you girls can do about it.”

Loki was rather disturbed by the blatant show Hogun was putting on, standing proudly with wide legs upon the rock island in the middle of the springs. However, he was grateful for the distraction, as Fandral’s arm slipped off his shoulders.

“Oh yeah, Hogun? Well I think Loki and I could take you!” 

“I would really rather not take him… anywhere,” Loki muttered.

“But, Loki! We have to fight him!” Fandral all but whined.

“No, no we don’t,” Loki insisted with a high-pitched response. “We could just… um… close our eyes and… uh, swim around!”

‘ _Very smooth,_ ’ Ikol teased, as Loki desperately made his way for the shore, hoping for any distraction.

“Come on!” Fandral tried again. “Don’t be such a – ah!”

Loki turned to see Fandral standing with a look of horror and clutching the top of his head. Before he could ask what happened, Volstagg also cried out and bent over to hide his swelling eye.

‘ _Can’t keep this up forever, you know._ ’ Ikol’s voice came in his mind.

As another sharp stone came down on Hogun’s head, Loki whistled for Sleipnir, who hid Loki’s body from the squabbling men. 

‘ _That was close,_ ’ Loki thought.

‘ _That was a lot of hard work,_ ’ Ikol corrected. 

Stalking away quietly, he thanked Ikol a hundred times over. 

‘ _No need for thanks, you just owe me big._ ’

They made their way through the now empty training grounds, the moon at a full. The only light came from the advisor's tent. 

“You think your troops are ready to fight? Ha! They wouldn’t last a minute against the Frost Giants!” Heimdall crowed.

“They completed their training, what more can I ask of them?”

“Those men – those _boys_ – are no more fit to be soldiers than you are to be captain!” Heimdall said angrily. How many years did he serve under the General, under the _King_ before he could be seen for all the good he had done? That position should have been his! “Once the General reads my report, your troops will never see battle!” he promised, turning his back to end their conversation.

“We’re not finished!” Thor shouted, also heated by their argument.

Heimdall spun around with one more threat. “Be careful, _Captain_ ,” he spat. “The general may be your father, but I am the King’s Council. And just so you’re aware, I got that job on my own,” he added. “You’re dismissed.”

Thor knew there was some truth to Heimdall’s words – the King had the ultimate say, and Heimdall had been his advisor for years. He had to be careful what he said around the advisor, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He spun on his heel to storm out of the tent, nearly running Loki over. 

“Um…” Loki started gracefully. “Listen, I know I wasn’t supposed to hear any of that, but, um, for what it’s worth, I think you’re a great captain!”

Thor looked at Loki, the way his ashen skin was illuminated by the moonlight, and how those wide, gentle eyes practically shone. Loki had clearly been at the hot springs; his hair was still damp, curling slightly at the ends in an endearing manner, his face void of any dirt and sporting a becoming blush from the steam. Thor turned away, shamed by his desire for one of his recruits, and walked to his own tent.

‘ _I saw that_ ,’ Ikol commented. 

‘ _Saw what?_ ’ Loki asked defensively.

‘ _Ooh, you like him, don’t you?_ ’

‘ _What! No! I…_ ’

‘ _Right. Go to your tent, young boy._ ’

Loki threw his hands up and made his way back to his tent. _It’s not as if he’d feel the same way about me anyway,_ he thought to himself, hoping Ikol wouldn’t invade his thoughts. Little did he know, his little guardian had taken some other matters into his own hands.


	4. Regroup

“Yes… Yes of course I’ll take your place as General… How nice of you to notice…” Heimdall muttered in his sleep. 

‘ _Moron,_ ’ Ikol thought. 

As a bird of magic, born from the Norns, he held powers that were almost unparalleled. He could only use them as the Norns see fit, but as luck would have it, their strings were tangled just as they liked, and Ikol did as he pleased. 

On the desk that Heimdall had set up his writing station, Ikol had placed a fresh roll of parchment upon it. Having no way of controlling the quill, he dipped his foot inside the little ink jar and flew to begin writing. His talons served him well as he hopped about on the paper, carefully wording his order. 

Being as devilish as Ikol was, he dropped the letter beside Heimdall’s face, and brought upon his high powers to invade the poor counselor’s mind.

As cruel as it was, it had to be done, or so Ikol rationalized. He summoned a great monster from Heimdall’s dreams, he watched it tower over the cowering man, watched it lunge and heard the screams. _If you’re going to be a General, you cannot seriously be this cowardly,_ Ikol thought.

The advisor woke with a cry and short pants of breath, his movements rumpling the letter.

“Where did this come from?” he muttered to himself in the dark. Still, as an advisor every scroll of parchment, every square of scrap paper might be important. Groggily, he broke the clumsy seal and unrolled the message, mumbling as he read. 

Flying out of the bed and wrapping his embarrassingly light, white bathrobe around himself, he burst through the flaps of the Captain’s tent.

“Captain! Urgent news from the General! We’re needed at the front!”

Thor could barely register what had happened, his eyes still bleary from his shortened sleep, but the words _General_ and _front_ were clear to him enough.

_Father!_

He rose, kicked his blankets off and retrieved his horn. Pushing past the stunned counselor, he blew with all his might, the blare of it scattering the birds from nearby trees. At once, there came rustling and murmuring and he quickly shouted, “We’re moving out! Now!”

\--

The horn sounded like some distant being calling out in his dream, like the heavens were calling out for him.

It turned out to be no such thing, of course. With the addition of Ikol pecking at his arm, it wasn’t a hard task to wake himself. The first thing he noticed was that the sun was barely out, its orange and yellow lights barely reaching over the top of the mountains. 

“What is it?” he whispered harshly to Ikol.

“Pack your bags, it’s time to go!”

“Time to go? What? Where?”

Before Ikol could answer, Fandral burst into his tent. “Come on, Loki! We’re going to the front!”

With that, his neat little blonde head ducked out of the tent again, and Loki could hear Sliepnir’s impatient snickering.

Throwing together what little things he had with him, he packed Sleipnir, watching the rest of the recruits doing the same with their supplies, though not all of them had horses. 

He hopped on Sleipnir without a problem and rushed to find Fandral again. They had become good friends, despite the rocky start of their relationship, and he thanked their sparring matches for that. He found Volstagg and Hogun as well, and quickly asked what was happening.

“Dunno, but I reckon the General’s found Farbauti’s troops,” Volstagg comment.

“Yeah, and we’re gonna help take ‘em out!” Hogun said, packing his fist into the palm of his other hand for emphasis.

“Here, you can load your stuff on Sleipnir, he doesn’t mind,” he offered, stroking Sleipnir’s muzzle affectionately.

The others were grateful for the help, and thanked the boy, and his horse. They fell into line quickly, just a few recruits behind their Captain, who sat upon his royal white horse. 

He set his horse into a steady pace, looking at the trail of young men behind him. He hated that he would be sending some of these men to their death – some of these boys, even. Immediately, his eyes scanned for Loki at the thought, though that was no trouble with his dark inky hair that stood out from the rest of them. The sun was only just rising over the mountains, and he could see the tired bags under most of their eyes, especially prominent against Loki’s pale skin. 

He only hoped that his father had a plan.

 

“You know what helps me keep going?” Fandral whispered to Loki, who was walking in a trance-like mode, feet shuffling and eyes barely open.

“What?”

“Well, when the pounding beat and our aching feet aren’t easy to ignore,” Fandral paused for dramatization. “Just think instead, of a girl worth fighting for!”

“Huh?”

“That’s right, a girl worth fighting for!” Fandral repeated. “I want her paler than the moon,” he said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows at Loki. “With eyes that shine like stars!”

Hogun quickly joined in, flexing his bicep as he said, “My girl will marvel at my strength, and adore my battle scars!”

Volstagg let out a hearty laugh before he too, added, “I couldn’t care less what she’ll wear or what she looks like!”

Fandral rolled his eyes as if he couldn’t fathom why somebody would say that.

Volstagg continued, “It all depends on what she cooks like – Beef, pork, chicken, oh mmmmmm.” He patted his enormous girth. 

“I bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer,” Fandral said to Loki. 

“Er –”

“And what lady doesn’t love a man in armour?” Fandral interrupted, brushing his hand upon the shiny pauldron that sat on Loki’s shoulder. 

“Ignore him, he’s a hound,” Hogun said. “I suppose you can guess what we’ve missed the most since we went off to war, and what we’re looking for.”

“Let me guess – a girl worth fighting for?” Loki said half-heartedly.

Hogun clapped him on the back. “My girl will think I have no flaws –”

“—And that I’m a major find!” Volstagg said wishfully. They all turned to Loki now, for he was the only one who had not said a thing.

“Um,” he said intelligibly. Truth be told he’d never thought of this, not even when he had to visit the Matchmaker; women just didn’t hold any appeal for him. “Well, how’s about a girl who’s got a brain and always speaks her mind?” Loki offered, obviously projecting the characteristics he held himself, and therefore valued in others, regardless of gender.

The others looked at him as if he’d gone insane. 

“Nah,” they said in unison, with Hogun shaking his head and Volstagg walking away. “My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her!” Fandral practically sang, following Volstagg.

“He thinks he’s such a lady-killer,” Hogun muttered to Loki behind the boastful man’s back.

Heimdall had suddenly appeared behind them, no doubt trying to catch up to the General, and overheard their conversation. “Hmph. I’ve got a girl back home who’s unlike any other,” he boasted, smiling smugly.

“The only girl who’d love him is his mother,” Hogun said to Loki quietly, though Heimdall turned his head to indicate he had heard it anyway.

“But when we come home in victory, they’ll be lining up at the door!” Fandral exclaimed excitedly, though it was partially because the front was within view now and they were only a few steps away. 

“Who’ll be lining up?” said a young recruit, new to the conversation that Loki had to endure.

“A girl worth fighting for!” Hogun exclaimed.

“A girl worth fighting for?” he asked.

“Oh yes!” And as the others turned to lend their voices, it sounded like an orchestrated choir. “A girl worth fighting for!”

Though Loki had no true part in this conversation, he was grateful for his friends’ attitudes at it seemed to cheer up the others, making their long, dismal journey more bearable. Just as the men buzzed with conversation, swapping back and forth their ideas of a perfect girl, Thor suddenly stopped, rearing his steed. 

The others quickly looked around Thor, and gasped in horror. 

What could only have been a village had been burnt to the ground, charred remains of wood and housing, a terrible mess of footsteps in the snow, and not a single soul in sight.


	5. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ALMOST DONE.

“Search for survivors!” Thor instantly commanded, his voice loud and harsh.

Loki’s eyes were instantly attracted to a small bloodied mess. A small sparrow lay in a mangle of bones and matted feathers.

Thor had taken one glance around the desolate land, eyes and words frantic. “I don’t understand! My father should have been here!”

“Captain…” Heimdall shouted from nearby, looking down into a valley. The horrors did not cease; there lay the clear signs of a battlefield, the ground littered with bloodied and dead Royal Army soldiers. 

Loki had barely registered Volstagg’s absence as he looked around the remnants of an innocent village, the evidence of the Frost Giants’ destruction so clear in front of him. When the large man came back, he held a very distinctive helmet in his hands, the long, red feather tattered. “The General…”

He needn’t say more than that. He wordlessly handed the helmet to Thor’s outstretched, trembling hands. It hurt Loki’s heart to see the vibrant, clear blue eyes darken like the skies above. They watched on as their Captain angrily thrust his sword to the ground, placing his father’s helmet on top. It was defeating to see their strong leader fall to his knees, his shoulders slumped in grief and words of prayers leaving his lips. 

Most of the men shuffled, and cast their eyes elsewhere, for it felt as though they were intruding on a very private moment. Loki felt unsure of what to do, but thoughts of his own father entered his mind, and his heart ached at even the thought of losing Laufey. He walked tentatively to the mourning Captain, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, whispering, “I’m so sorry.”

Thor brushed off his condolences, standing up and putting on a determined face one more. He mounted his steed without a look back, turning professional once again. 

“The Frost Giants are moving quickly,” He said sternly. ‘We’ll make better time to the Imperial City through the Serpent’s Pass.” He could see the flitter of anticipation from his men – Serpent’s Pass was not known to be friendly to travellers. “We’re the only hope for the King now. Move out!”

His words sank in, deep to the very core f every man. _They_ were the last hope. The anxiety quickly caught onto Loki. What if they recognized him somehow, and exposed him? He would be dead either way. His breathing had becoming irregular, heart racing, he barely noticed his palms tingling with a familiar warmth.

‘ _Stop!_ ’ Ikol told him, but Loki’s body was rebelling. His mind started to propel the tendrils of the magic in his body coming alive once more.

‘ _STOP!_

He was near panting by now, trying desperately to hide it from the others. In an attempt to stop his magic from flaring, he clung to Sleipnir unexpectedly, startling Ikol who had been perched on top. The equipment Sleipnir had been carrying was jostled by the action, Ikol striking one of the explosives with sharp talons. It all happened so quickly that Loki almost missed the sudden flare up ahead. It was only when Thor turned around furiously that he realized what had happened.

“What happened? You just gave away our position! Now we’re – Ah!”

Loki’s eyes widened in guilt and shock when a wicked black arrow lodged itself into Thor’s shoulder, knocking the Captain off his frightened horse, which had taken off. He didn’t have time to apologize as the group saw lines of Frost Giant warriors appear upon the cliffs behind him.

Arrows rained down on them like an angry hail storm, taking out recruits left and right.

“Get out of range!” Thor shouted, clutching the bleeding wound. 

They were a pitiful bunch, struggling to get as far away from the archers as possible. To their horror, another group of Giants intercepted their path, forcing them uphill instead of down. 

Their weapons and men were scattered, they were in no formation, and they were a panicked group, their numbers slowly diminishing.

“Fire what we have!” Thor shouted, unsheathing his sword.

The sounds of cannons going off around him were relieving, but only for a quick moment.

“Captain!” Fandral shouted. “We’ve only two more!”

“Hold it!” Thor commanded as he saw another line of Frost Giants come forth on the mountain, Farbauti clearly in the lead at the head of their peak formation. 

“Prepare to fight, men,” Thor addressed them, “If we die, we die with honour!”

‘ _I am **not** dying for bloody **honour**_!’ Loki thought angrily.

The Frost Giants were charging at them, leaping and bounding with wide strides and feral looks.

“Fire!” Thor commanded again, letting their second last cannon go. It struck, but the Frost Giants were sparse in their formation, and most of them under Farbauti’s lead were too quick – the cannon took out the soldiers who were slower. Still, it was not enough; they were vastly outnumbered and the Frost Giants were gaining ground. “This is it, men!” he cried, trying to rally his troops for one last stand. Hands ready upon their swords, they all revealed their weapons, the chorus of _shing_ echoing as the group joined together to fight. Loki did the same, but caught a glimpse of the large overhanging mount of snow. _Could it be…?_

Driven by fear and anger, Loki grabbed the last cannon from Fandral’s hands, and leapt out from their vantage point, running clear for the pack.

“Loki! Loki, come back here!” Thor hollered desperately after him. _What was he thinking?!_

Loki fumbled on his way down, his long legs not able to keep up with the pace he was setting for himself. He heard the cawing from overhead, indicating his advisor was nearby. 

‘ _Please Ikol, you have to trust me. I need to do this._ ’

He reached a close enough point to the massive overhang between the opposing forces, gasping for breath and dropping on all fours to regain any reservoir of power he had length. He blocked out the calls from Thor and his men, and the battle cries from the Giants charging toward him. He summoned a fire to light the cannon, having no time for a match.

‘ _They could find out you’re using magic, Loki._ ’

‘ _I know._ ’

He pulled and pushed the force within him it felt like it would tear him apart. The manipulation of any element was difficult enough, but he had never tried on such a large scale, let alone dividing his attention between two objects like this. His magic flared from him, strands invisible to anyone else, wrapping itself around the rocket that headed toward the curved cliff, as his magic tugged at the snow as well. The floor rumbled with Loki’s efforts, his hands desperately clutching onto the nothingness but air in front of him, sweat gathering upon his brow. The rocket travelled in a perfectly straight line, just as Loki was directing it.

Slowly but surely, the mountain began to crumble, the snow falling loose, and at last, the avalanche came roaring down. 

He couldn’t leave until he had brought the whole thing down, determined to drown out the Frost Giants to protect his realm and friends. Farbauti roared in fury, closing the distance between himself and Loki, slashing at Loki with his dagger. 

Having next to nothing in terms of strength left, Loki was thrown back by the blow, feeling a crack in his side and a pain shooting up and spreading through his body from his upper thigh. He willed himself to run – to get as far away as possible. Thankfully, Sleipnir had ran full speed to his rescue, as he could only manage to hobble. 

The Royal recruits had frantically scrambled away from the avalanche, but he noticed Thor’s eyes trained on him. He spurred Sleipnir towards the Captain, stretching out a hand to try and get a grasp on the man’s arm. They held each other for just a moment before the ferocious force of the snow tore them apart. 

‘ _No!_ ’

Thor went under, resurfacing a moment later but his eyes had closed, his limns gone slack. Drifting unconsciously with the rushing snow, Thor was just out of Loki’s reach. 

“Come on, boy,” he urged Sleipnir. 

With an extra burst of speed and control, they reached the Captain, and Loki hauled him up onto the saddle in his lap. He gripped the reigns in concentration, willing the snow to now stop. The momentum kept them going – right towards the edge of a cliff – and if Loki could not stop it, they would surely meet their deaths. 

He pulled at the snow, pushed back upon it with all his might. 

\--  
“Do you see them?” Fandral asked worriedly, watching Hogun’s eyes scanning the sea of white from atop Volstagg’s shoulders. 

“Yes! They’re headed for the cliffs!”

“We’ll never reach them in time!” Volstagg wailed.

“We have to try!” Fandral said, bursting off. The rest of the crew followed closely.

“The snow, it’s too fast!” Hogun said through panting breaths.

“Sleipnir can’t handle it,” Volstagg remarked. 

“If they doesn’t slow down they’ll plunge to their deaths,” Fandral cursed under his breath. “Loki! Jump!”

Loki was panting so harshly his throat became raw, his body trembling from his efforts. ‘ _Ikol…_ ’

‘ _You can do this, believe it._ ’

Miraculously, the rapids of snow were slackening; Sleipnir was regaining control of the terrain and jumping out of the waves, trying urgently to backtrack away from the cliff. 

The others reached them at the very edge, when Sleipnir’s hind hooves were in mid-air, his front legs scrabbling to climb back upward. Grabbing the horse’s reigns and saddle straps, front legs and all, they hauled the whinnying horse back upon the cliff, together, collapsing in an exhausted heap.

“Step back guys, give them some air!” Fandral shouted, scooting backward.

Loki had never been so grateful for the man as his body thrummed with exhaustion. Thor had been stirring through the entire ordeal, and only just opened his eyes fully to look at Loki in awe.

“Loki, you are the craziest man I have ever met,” Thor said. Loki hung his head, bracing himself for the next words. “… And for that, I owe you my life. From now on, you have my absolute trust,” he finished, placing a hand on Loki’s shoulder.

“Yeah! Let’s hear it Loki!” Fandral cheered. “The bravest of us all!”

“Yeah, _you’re_ the King of the Mountain!” he added with a wink. 

Loki was startled by all the cheering, still in shock of all that had happened. His heart was beating in overtime, he was almost sure he could pass out from pride and adrenaline. 

Thor offered a hand up, which Loki took gratefully. He only had a slight moment to marvel at how their hands fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle before his leg cried out in pain. 

“Ah!” he cried, wrenching is hand from Thor’s and dropping to the ground again, clutching his thigh.

“Loki? What’s wrong? Let me see,” he demanded, moving Loki’s hand and baggy clothing aside carefully. Seeing the pooling blood, and the golden hilt of a small dagger, he turned to the anxious crowd. “He’s wounded! Set up a medical tent!”

Turning back to Loki, who was giving away to the blackness that was pulling at him, he whispered softly, “Hold on, Loki. Hold on.”

Loki thought nothing of it, just that he was thankful for Thor’s face to be the last thing he saw before succumbing to the darkness.


	6. Return

The warriors waited around the tent, anxious and nervous for their friend’s fate. Thor paced in front of the tent furiously enough to wear the ground out to mud. 

The medical recruit emerged from the tent and beckoned Thor inside.

“Well?” he whispered, seeing Loki’s face peaceful in sleep.

“Sir, there is a rather unusual case…”

“What are you talking about? Out with it!”

“I had to remove his clothing to get to the dagger and stop the bleeding... I figured you should know that he’s not… one of us.”

“What do you mean he’s not _one of us_?”

“Sir, he’s got… he’s got the anatomy of a Frost Giant.”

“What?!” Thor cried out, forgetting that Loki had been slumbering. 

Loki awoke, trying to grasp his surroundings, feeling the blankets heavy on his body that seemed to be healing. He smiled up at Thor, figuring he had been watching over him for the duration of the – Loki realized his mistake, and clutched the blankets tighter, crossing his legs underneath. 

The look of anger and hurt on Thor’s face told him that the Captain already knew, though. “I can explain!” he said frantically, scrambling after Thor who had left the tent. 

“Well?” Heimdall asked Thor impatiently.

“Please, Thor!” Loki begged.

“He is one of them,” Thor stated without emotion.

Loki had to gulp for air, unbelieving that this was how it would all end for him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he rapidly tried to blink them back. 

“High treason!” Heimdall exclaimed, pointing an accusing figure at Loki, who was still tangled in the sheets on his knees. “A Frost Giant in Asgard! You treacherous snake! How dare you infiltrate our army for your kind!”

“My father came to save us, and I joined to save him in return!”

“Hmph! Wait until the King hears that one of his greatest war heroes was a Frost Giant!”

“I didn’t mean for it to get this far! It was the only way – Please, believe me!” he heaved dryly through supressed sobs hysterically.

“Captain!” Heimdall ordered. They both knew the price for a Frost Giant entering Asgard.

Thor made his way solemnly to Loki, drawing his sword. The young sorcerer couldn’t bear to look into the eyes of the man he had fallen for, his life now about to end by his hands. He ducked, letting his tears fall into the snow. 

The Warriors Three made a rush to intervene, but one look from Heimdall stopped them in their tracks. 

To everyone’s surprise, Thor dropped the sword in front of Loki’s form instead of taking his head right off. “A life for a life. Consider my debt repaid.”

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but Heimdall cut him off abruptly. 

“But you can’t just –”

I said _move out_ ,” Thor repeated tersely.

The army walked away sadly, following their Captain, but not before looking sadly and sympathetically at Loki. Frost Giant or not, he had still saved their lives, chosen in that moment who his loyalty had been to, and they were at least thankful for that. Still, their allegiance was first and foremost to Asgard, to their King, and to their Captain. 

As the winds picked up, Ikol and Sleipnir tried to offer their comfort, but it was for naught. Loki pulled the blanket closer to him as he silently sobbed. “I should never have left home,” he said softly, not quite talking to his companions.

“You did what was right, you did what you wanted, right?” Ikol now spoke in his garbling voice now that they were alone.

“That’s not entirely the point, Ikol…” Loki said, still feeling more sorry for himself than anything.

“You did it to save your father, right? You did it, you saved him.”

“Well maybe I didn’t go just for my father!” Loki huffed in frustration. “Maybe I wanted to prove that I could do things right for once…. So that I could be someone worthwhile, someone like my father. Instead, I see myself as nothing but a failure!”

“And I wanted to prove to the Norns I could be a good advisor, but you don’t see me squawking.”

“Ikol, you _are_ squawking. Magpies squawk. You know what you’re _not_? _Helping._ ”

“Let’s get you home,” Ikol suggested instead.

“You’re right,” Loki admitted. “I’ll have to face my father sooner or later.”

“It will be okay,” Ikol assured, sounding more confident than he had been this entire journey. Sensing Loki’s hesitation, he uncharacteristically added, “I’ll be here with you… We’ll do this together”

The thought seemed to comfort Loki at least somewhat. He rose with the blanket, inclining his head to motion Sleipnir to follow. 

“At least put on clothes!” Ikol chided, back to old self.

Loki’s limbs felt as though they were made of lead, heavy and sore, protesting every movement. He eventually said for summoning clothes upon his body, plain and grey just as his mood was. 

They trudged through the dense snow, down from the camp they had sent up momentarily and back down to the great avalanche site. It sent shivers down Loki’s spine, but it was nothing compared to how he felt when he saw a long, deep blue arm break through the calm white surface, planting itself to haul the rest of the body out. As the rest of the body gradually rose – the shoulder, neck, head – Loki heard Farbauti’s angered roar, and soon enough the snow began to break out with limbs scratching for a chance to resurface. Loki hopped on Sleipnir with renewed purpose, and sped for the Royal Palace as fast as he could, aiding Sleipnir with all the strength he could. By the distant rallying of Farbauti, he could tell they wouldn’t be long behind him.

“Facing your father later rather than sooner, then?”

“You know I have to do something.”

“Like getting yourself killed? They practically came back from the dead!”

“Are we in this together or not?” Loki snapped impatiently. For the first time since he had encountered the little bird, Ikol actually looked guilty.

“Together,” Ikol said at last. 

For a moment, there was silence save for the thundering of Sleipnir’s hooves and the whistling of the wind. Then, Loki spoke. It was only two words, but it would mean the world later on.

“Thank you.”

\--

“Make ways for the heroes of China!” the man leading the parade hollered to be met by loud cheers and clapping. 

Thor rode at the head upon the horse he had been given. As much as this should feel like a victory, he could not bring himself to fully smile. The Warriors Three rode behind, equally as guilty, as well as the rest of the surviving recruits.

As Thor turned to the crowd to look upon the smiling faces of the people, grateful looks from parents, adoration on the faces of children, he only felt guilt for leaving the man who had saved his life to die. 

“Thor!” he heard. He thought for a moment that he was dreaming. Was his mind playing tricks on him, trying to make him feel even guilt-ridden? 

“Thor!” He knew this time it was not a trick, as Loki appeared beside him, beautifully dishevelled with rosy cheeks and heaving chest. 

“Loki?” he was in utter shock – Loki shouldn’t be here! If he were to be caught, he would be slain!

“The Frost Giants – they live! They are on their way to the city!”

“You don’t belong here,” Thor growled. “Go home, and stay quiet.”

 _He’s not getting it!_ Loki thought irritably. “Thor, I saw them on the mountains! You have to believe me!”

“Why should I?” he snapped, aware that the warriors’ eyes were upon them.

“Why else would I be here!” Loki retorted. “You know it is not easy for me to come back, but I need you to trust me. You said you trusted me before you knew about my heritage, but why should it be any different now? I’m still Loki, I’m still the one who fought beside you!”

Thor elected to ignore the desperate pleas that came from Loki’s mouth, steering his horse around the sorcerer. Loki turned to the Warriors Three instead to warn them. “Keep your eyes open, the Frost Giants will be here any minute now, I know it!”

“And where are you going?” Fandral asked.

“To find some way to hold them off!” 

Before any of them could protest, Sleipnir was off, and Loki was begging for more magic. 

Thor walked up the grand steps to bow before the King.

“My children!” Bor spoke in an aged, wise voice. “Heaven smiles down upon the Realm of Asgard! We shall sleep safely and peacefully tonight, thanks to our brave warriors!”

“Your Majesty, I present to you the dagger of Farbauti.”

Bor looked down upon it and back up at the young face of his previously greatest General’s son. “I know what this must mean to you, Captain… Your father would have been very proud of you.” It was the kindest way to refuse the gift, to let the Captain keep it in his father’s memory, but just as Thor stood, an arrow flew by his face, knocking the dagger to the ground.

Gasping, Thor turned to see where the arrow had come from, as did the rest of the crowd – and all could see the murderous gleam of Farbauti’s dark smile and blood-red eyes standing proudly with what was left of his men.

“No…” Thor whispered in fear. He turned back around to usher the King inside the safety of his palace, but Bor was already in the clutches of two of Farbauti’s men, just about to slip away. 

“Come on!” Hogun shouted, first to get over the initial shock, signalling for the rest to follow him. They shot up the stairs after him, but the Frost Giants were already closing the door, their malicious grins being the last thing anyone could see before the great doors slammed shut.

Thor had just missed his chance to keep the doors open by a finger’s width. He slammed his fists angrily upon the doors that didn’t budge.

“Bring out the battering ram!” It was the only chance they had, they had to break these doors down! It was a large and heavy tool; it required every single one of the recruits to carry it. 

“On my go!” Thor commanded as the recruits reared, bracing themselves for the impact.

“They’ll never reach the King in time!” Loki said in despair, looking around frantically. He spotted the pillars that led to the balconies of the palace, and quickly whistled sharply at the Warriors Three, who stood by Thor with their weapons drawn. They were the only ones who trusted him, and he hoped that now, more than ever, they would still believe in him.

Catching their attention, he waved them over. Thankfully, they made no hesitation. 

“Loki!” Fandral exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.

“Fandral!” Loki cried, more in irritation than joy. “Is this _really_ the time?”

Letting go of the slender man, Fandral coughed and sniffed with an upturned nose. “Of course not. Please Loki, save it for later.” As if it had been _Loki’s_ fault.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said quickly, conjuring up a large ribbon into his hands. “Remember this?” he asked as he threw the ribbon around the pole, placing a foot on the pole just as he had done when retrieving the arrow. The warriors broke out into smiles, their eyes gleaming. He could have magicked them up somehow, but he figured he best save his energy. After all, they would be coming face-to-face with the fiercest war leader in Jotun history.

Summoning ribbons for the rest of the warriors was no problem, and they all copied Loki’s motion. They relived themselves of their heavy armour and prepared for the climb.

“Mind if I join?” 

Loki spun to see Thor, standing there with his bright red cape in hand, also wrapped around a pole. He still couldn’t get over Thor’s initial reaction to seeing him here at the palace, and all he could do was offer a small smile. After all, it was just as much Thor’s battle as it was his own. Together, they climbed.

\--

“ _Bor_ ,” Farbauti spat at the King’s face, his men on either side. “I’ve waited a long time for this, _almighty King_ ,” he hissed. He ordered his guards to stand by the doors as he savoured this moment. Oh how long he had waited for this moment. He brandished his retrieved dagger, eyes gleaming as dangerously as his blade. “Your walls and armies have fallen… And now it’s your turn. _Bow to me._ ”

 

\--

 

“Okay… Any questions?”

The group seemed skeptical, worried, but they were still on board. The four shook their heads.

Loki threw his voice across the room, making it bounce off the opposite wall. 

“Who’s there?!” shouted one of the sentries.

Loki stepped out of the shadows, and quickly faced the Frost Giants keeping guard.

“ _You._ ” 

With a burst of speed, Loki ran for them, sliding underneath the legs of one of the guards. They lunged to grab for him, turning their backs to the waiting group of warriors. The Warriors Three and Thor charged, each catching the back of a knee of the guards. They used their ribbons to tie the arms and injured legs of the struggling guards. Though they had tried to keep them quiet, one of the guards had bitten Volstagg’s hand, causing the great warrior to leap away from him. 

“Intruders!” the guard bellowed.

“Thor, go!” Loki said to the Captain, knowing they didn’t have much time now that Farbauti knew they were here. 

Thor knew this as well, and burst through the heavy doors as if they weighed nothing and dashing up the stairs they revealed.

“I said _bow!_ ” Farbauti screamed, still unaware that Thor had reached them. 

“I will not,” Bor said, still standing. This angered Farbauti enough to lift his dagger.

“So be it!” he snarled. “Then you will kneel… _in pieces._ ” He brought the dagger down, only to have it stopped by the edge of Thor’s drawn sword. A loud noise from behind him of Volstagg making an appearance distracted Farbauti just long enough for Thor to land a kick square to the chest. 

“Get the King!” Loki shouted as he too appeared on the scene with the other warriors.

Volstagg faced the King. “Sorry, Your Majesty.” He picked the King up over his shoulder and looked at Loki for the next move. Conjuring yet some more ribbons for each of them, he summoned a long cord that stretched across the palace grounds to safety. Volstagg didn’t question the strength, just placed his complete trust in Loki. “Be safe,” he said before wildly flying above the crowd below with the King still over this shoulder. The other two followed quickly.

“NO!” Farbauti bellowed. He plucked Thor up with ease by the scruff of his neck and crashed his head into the Captain. Thor cried out with the blow, cursing as he saw stars dancing. Loki winced before a shouting caught his attention.

“Come on!” Hogun waved frantically.

Loki turned back to Thor, lying on the ground unconscious, Farbauti now advancing upon him. In a split decision, he took Farbauti’s dagger that had been dropped on the ground and cut the cord he made. A cheering down below brought a sudden warmth of heroism. For once, he felt braver than he ever had before, knowing that his father would have made the very same decision.

“No!” the angered war leader cried again. Thor stirred slightly, clutching his throbbing head. Farbauti paid him no mind, slowly stepping towards Loki. “ _You_. You took away my victory!”

“I did,” Loki said, his voice unwavering despite the fluttering of his heart in his chest. He’d heard of Farbauti before, from Laufey’s old tales. _This_ was the leader that had turned them away, that had told his father to leave him to die. He tore his glamour down, letting his skin show true for what it was, letting the markings raise from his skin that slowly turned a deep cobalt blue.

“Laufey’s _runt_!?” he said with wide eyes. He chased after Loki, forgetting about Thor completely. 

Loki ran back down the stairs, slamming the doors at the end shut. A large fist splintered the wood beside Loki’s head and he couldn’t help the panicked yelp that escaped his lips.

He was extremely thankful when Ikol arrived, but that soon faded as soon as Ikol chirped, “So, what’s your plan?”

“Um… I didn’t exactly have one.”

“Improv is only good in theatres, boy.”

“Shush, Ikol. I’m trying to think.” Another large portion of the wood was knocked from the frame and Loki ran for the nearest corridor. Outside, he noticed a stack of fireworks, no doubt for the celebrations that were supposed to take place. “Hey, Ikol...”

“Go,” the bird said, already picking up the details of Loki’s plan through his thoughts. The magpie flew out the small window, headed straight for the little pile.

Having watched to make sure Ikol got there, he allowed himself to be open for Farbauti’s side tackle. He shimmied out of the Giant’s grasp, and desperately clambered up a nearby pole. His plan was quickly dashed as Farbauti turned his arm to ice and hacked away at the pole, forcefully kicking it over when he had made a large enough cut.  
Loki felt himself falling out the very window Ikol had flown out of, and his grasp hadn’t been strong enough. He fell two stories before catching the ledge of a roof and pulling himself up. From here, he could see Ikol arranging the fireworks into position. 

‘ _Fire would be nice,_ ’ Ikol’s voice reminded him.

Fire, Loki was very good at. With very little effort, he called forth a lit torch, letting Ikol’s claws grab onto it before straightening himself out again. Farbauti wasn’t about to give up that easily. The dagger was back in his hands, poised and ready to strike the young sorcerer, who looked around frantically. There were whispers

“Out of ideas, are we?” Farbauti grinned before lunging at Loki. There was a look of surprise before Loki dissipated into the air as the dagger struck clean through the image, and into the wood of the rooftop.

“Not quite,” Loki said, reappearing behind Farbauti. ‘ _Ready, Ikol?_ ’

‘ _Bet your blue behind I am._ ’ He confirmed this by lighting the fireworks he had lined up in a row. 

Loki summoned another fire, flickering in his palms before launching a spinning ball of it at Farbauti. It caused the Giant to reel in pain, his skin turning black where the attack had landed. Taking advantage of Farbauti’s pain, Ikol steered the large firerocket with precision, launching it straight into Farbauti, and picking the Giant up with its momentum. 

‘ _You might want to move now_ ,’ reminded Ikol.

Snapping back to reality, Loki ran along the rooftop, jumping off the side, and letting his natural instincts summon ice beneath his feet to create an ice slide. When the roof disappeared to thin air, he grabbed the near thing – a wire that connected the palace to the watchtower – and felt himself zipping down the line. When he could no longer take the burn of the cord between his hands, he dropped. Completely underestimating how close he was to the ground, he didn’t summon anything in time and dropped heavily on top of Thor, who was racing down the stairs. 

The Warriors Three were in sight, running up the stairs, while the King himself descended the stairs, Heimdall racing ahead of him.

“That was a deliberate attempt on the King’s life! Where is that despicable Frost Giant? What a mess! Stand aside, that _creature_ isn’t worth protecting!”

“He’s a hero!” Thor growled. 

“He’s a _Frost Giant_. He’ll never be worth anything!”

“Listen here you pompous…”

“That is enough!” Bor’s regal voice boomed calmly. 

“Your Majesty, I can explain –” Thor said, instantly dropping to his knee to bow before his king. 

The King raised a great hand, silencing Thor’s thoughts, and turned to the Warriors Three. Grudgingly, they stepped to the side to reveal Loki, still in his cerulean skin. He opened his mouth to speak, but the sheer terror of being slaughtered before the entirety of the palace had stolen the words from his mouth.

“I’ve heard a great deal about you, Loki Laufeyson. You stole your father’s armour, his conscription letter, ran away from home and impersonated a soldier. More than that, you deceived your commanding officer, dishonoured the Asgardian army, destroyed my palace, and have been living as an illegal refugee for your entire life!”

Heimdall happily nodded along with everything the King was saying as Loki was shrinking in on himself with every offence he had committed.

“And you saved us all,” Bor concluded, walking to stop a few inches away from Loki. Shocking everyone, he bowed. Loki’s jaw hung open, much like Heimdall’s, and Thor too bowed before him, as did the Warriors Three, and row by row, everyone who had gathered in the palace grounds that day. _Asgard is bowing to me?_ he thought, stunned. He could only return a short bow to the smiling king. 

“Heimdall!” he beckoned for his advisor.

“Your Excellency?”

“See that this man is made a member of my council,” he said. 

“What? There are no council positions open, your Majesty!”

“Fine then,” Bor contemplated while stroking his snowy white beard. To Loki he smiled, “You can have his job.” He jerked a thumb towards Heimdall.

“What? My…?” He promptly fainted. 

Trying very hard to snicker, Loki said as politely as he could. “With all due respect, you Excellency, I think I’ve been away from home long enough. If it’s alright with you, I would like to return to my father, and assure him that I am unharmed.”

“Then take this,” Bor said, slipping a pendant off his own neck to place around his. “So your father will know what you have done for me. And this,” He added, handing Loki the dagger of Farbauti. “So all the realms will know what you have done for Asgard – for your _home_.”

“Thank you,” Loki barely managed a whisper. He bowed once more to the King before facing the Warriors Three.

“Thank you, all of you, for trusting in me.” He hugged each of them in turn, and receiving tight embraces in return. At last, he turned to have Thor.

“Um… You fight very well.” Thor said, outstretching his hand instead of open arms like the warriors.

“Oh,” Loki said disappointedly, clasping the offered hand. “Thank you.” They stared into each other’s eyes just a moment longer, but when neither made a move, Sleipnir nudged at Loki impatiently. Loki smiled at Thor before turning away to mount his steed, and ride away through the cheering crowd. 

“The one that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all,” the King said wisely.

Thor, however, furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “… Sir?”

“That boy. He’s one of a kind,” Bor said bluntly before patting Thor’s shoulder and walking away. Thor drank in the King’s word before hurrying off to the nearest villager with a horse. He knew exactly where he needed to be.

 

\--

 

Loki’s heart pounded when he say Laufey sitting in the backyard, underneath the blossoming peach trees. 

“Father,” he whispered, walking to kneel in front of him.

“Loki!”

Before Laufey could say anything else, Loki found himself spilling his words. “Father! I’ve bought you the sword of Farbauti! And the crest of the King! They’ve been gifts to honour our family!”

To his surprise, his father dropped the gifts to ground, choosing instead to wrap his arms tightly around his son, hauling him upward. “The greatest gift in honour is having you for a son. I was so worried and I… I’ve missed you so.”

It was hard not to let his tears fall hearing the choke in his father’s voice. “I’ve missed you too, papa,” he said, burying his face once again in his father’s shoulder.

Their embrace was interrupted by an awkward cough, to which both spun around to. 

“Honourable Laufey, I –” Thor stopped mid-sentence, aware that he hadn’t thought this through at all.

“Thor?” Loki wondered. 

“I…”

The boys looked at each other, dumbstruck and at a loss for words, fidgeting nervously. 

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Laufey asked him, breaking the silence.

“Ah – um…” he looked to Loki for help, but all he received was a nod of encouragement. 

“Dinner sounds… nice,” he accepted. 

Laufey smoothed down Loki’s hair once more before heading inside to prepare the meal.

“How did you find me?” Loki asked at last.

“A little birdy told me,” Thor responded.

“Oh.” He looked to temple where his father prayed to the Norns. _Thank you, Ikol._

“Yeah… So…”

There was a moment of silence, where Loki took to study Thor, the bold, brave Captain that he knew fidgeting like a small child. 

“Does this form frighten you? I can turn back you know,” Loki offered, figuring that must be what was causing Thor to be so on edge. He closed his eyes to concentrate before feeling Thor wrap a hand around his wrist. 

“No,” he said gently. “I… I think you are beautiful like this.”

Loki’s brow shot up in surprise, but he didn’t have a moment to respond before feeling the blazing heat of Thor’s tender kiss upon his lips, and he smiled against Thor’s mouth, knowing that everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read and subscribed/followed this story!
> 
> <3 I truly appreciate all of the support and kind feedback. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to pizzasrooftopsandinvitations on Tumblr! <3 Lots of love, thorki-smut.
> 
>  
> 
> feel free to drop by thorki-smut.tumblr.com for fics galore ~


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